Paris (Reuters)
A report issued by environmental bodies said that the temperatures during the Olympic Games in Paris may pose health risks to competing athletes, adding that continued increases in global temperatures could put future editions of the Games at risk.
The British Association for Sustainable Sport and Forerunner Athletes, an organization that helps athletes engage in environmental issues, published a report entitled “Rings of Fire: Heat Risks at the Paris 2024 Olympics.”
Temperatures are expected to rise again during the summer in Europe, after setting record highs in 2023, as the French Meteorological Authority (Metéo France) said that the weather is likely to be hotter than usual.
Heat and humidity were a major problem at the Tokyo Olympics as well, with athletes, even those accustomed to training well in hot climates, finding it extremely difficult.
The report, whose researchers spoke to scientists and athletes, said: “The next Olympic Games in Paris are now approaching, and cases of high temperature, which undermine health and enjoyment of sports spectacles, have increased significantly in the years between the two sessions (since the Tokyo Olympics).”
“The fact that the Olympics will be held during the height of summer means that the threat of a devastating heatwave is very real,” he added.
The report, which examined data over the past 100 years since France hosted the Olympic Games in 1924, found that temperatures rose by 3.1 degrees Celsius on average during July and August, the usual period for the Olympics.
#High #temperatures #lifethreatening #Paris #Olympics